Blood Cleansing System & Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to removing disease material from the blood of a patient. Specifically, the invention relates to using biological binders to trap disease material that is desired to be removed from the blood of a patient.

1 . A method for removing disease causing material from blood, said method comprising the steps of:
 attaching a photosensitizer to a binding agent to generate a conjugate material;   injecting the conjugate material into a patient such that the conjugate material binds to a targeted material;   circulating blood through an extracorporeal transparent tube;   illuminating said tube with light to activate said photosensitizer, wherein the activation of said photosensitizer releases oxygen capable of causing cell death upon contact with the oxygen.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said extracorporeal transparent tube is selected from a group of tubes comprising plastic tubes, polymer tubes, metallic tubes, silicone tubes. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said extracorporeal transparent tube has an inner diameter of 1.02 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said extracorporeal transparent tube is modified with one or more additional binding agents to capture said targeted material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said binding agent is selected from a group of binding agents comprising one or more of a an antibody, a protein, a peptide, a molecule, or one or more of a material that binds to a pathogen, a cell, or a cancer cell. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said targeted material is selected from a group of targeted material comprising pathogens, disease causing agents, viruses, bacteria, fungi, cancer cells, stem cell-like cancer cells, circulating tumor cells, microbial organisms. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said photosensitizer is modified with a crosslinker to make it receptive to a binding agent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said wavelength of light to activate the photosensitizer is 660 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said conjugate material is used as an imaging agent.